Favourite Festival and Why?

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Desdemona
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 06:59 PM

I've had *ENTIRELY* too much fun at Sidmouth, and Warwick is lovely as well; the town is so beautiful, there's so many wonderful pubs, and it's 15 minutes from my family, so that can't be bad! Hoping to get to Whitby one of these times...

~D

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 03:16 AM

I love Towersey...good singing, sessions, dancing, workshops, late night stuff.

Whitby was always excellent then I moved too far away, but hopefully we'll make it one year soon.

Hoping to do Miskin next year, heard so many good reports about it.

Hoping also to go to Broadstairs for a day this year.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: GUEST,Mike Miller
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 09:55 PM

When I lived in Ireland, I played in Towersey, on a bill with Cyril Tawney ans Dave Calderhead. It was wonderful experience.
In the USA, my all time favorite was The Beers Festival at Fox Hollow in New York State. For atmosphere, aura and entertainment, it was in a class by itself.

                Mike

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Ref
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 06:49 PM

Old Songs. Great family atmosphere with a much lower percentage of recto-optical inversion than we have encountered elsewhere. Wonderful music (formal and otherwise), food vendors, and crafts vendors.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:47 PM

Clifftop

All old time all the time.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: mick p r.m s.c
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 02:35 PM

Harwich Shanty Festival. Only the second one this year but if last year is anything to go by, BOY! what a weekend in prospect.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Vixen
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 02:31 PM

What Kendall said...

Don made our wedding rings too. Plus there's lots of great participatory music sessions, and we always end up coming home with a new (to us anyway) instrument or two from the instrument sale.

V

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 01:27 PM

Sorry, forgot "why?"
Both are close to my home and feature many of the worlds top folk performers along with locals. They bring the world's stage to my doorstep.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 01:23 PM

#1 Celtic Colours
#2 Stanfest

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: GUEST,Keith
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:53 AM

"Maybe as a compromise you could persuade him to bring his mate Steve along, and they could perform as a duo"

Trouble is, that way you get 90% Steve Knightley-written songs. Much as I like Show of Hands and Steve Knightley songs, Phil solo and the Phil Beer Band provide a rather more varied musical diet. Fortunately I believe Mr Knightley has another solo musical engagement of his own that weekend.

All to do with my having first bumped into Downes & Beer, and then Zorn, Downes & Beer at the Raven Folk Club back in the early 1980s. Back in those days all I knew of Steve Knightley was his writing credit on a number of the songs. Which reminds me, Phil STILL hasn't finished producing the Downes & Beer Live @ Nettlebed album from October 1995. That was a VERY good night.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Scrump
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:40 AM

My only regret is that this year I couldn't persuade them to book the whole Phil Beer Band, just Phil on his own.

Maybe as a compromise you could persuade him to bring his mate Steve along, and they could perform as a duo :-)

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: kendall
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:39 AM

Old Songs. Because they always have a great line up of performers,and lots of crafts to drool over. For instance, Don Meixner is always there, he made our wedding rings.
The other main reason is, many of my favorite people are there.(Including Don, of course)

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: GUEST,Keith
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:34 AM

"Chester is my favourite. It has an excellent mix of big names, new names and local singers, booked as guests; top dance teams; interesting special events (lectures, folk plays etc.); places to go sing and play; a top craft fair; local pubs serving good beer; quality food stalls; and above all the team who run it are very approachable and friendly. It really has it all."

Chester is indeed a good festival, for all the reason Wayne has said. That is is less than 10 miles up the road from my house is a big bonus too! My only regret is that this year I couldn't persuade them to book the whole Phil Beer Band, just Phil on his own.

I liked Shrewsbury when it was at Bridgnorth. I will probably give it another go in its new home this year. They too normally have a bill that caters for a wide range of tastes.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: GUEST,Wayne
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:23 AM

Chester is my favourite. It has an excellent mix of big names, new names and local singers, booked as guests; top dance teams; interesting special events (lectures, folk plays etc.); places to go sing and play; a top craft fair; local pubs serving good beer; quality food stalls; and above all the team who run it are very approachable and friendly. It really has it all.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Scrump
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 04:10 AM

Its just for the weekend. The main gigs are held at the school and the organisers have about a dozen different types of Real Ale on tap.

Wow, I hope someone from Broadstairs is reading this! We did a dance at the school last year and had to send out to the offie for bottles and cans of ale - scandalous!

No idea if we'll be playing at the school again this time, but if we are...!

I still like Broadstairs, but I'd like it even more if there was ale in the school :-)

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Rasener
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 04:02 AM

>>Is this for the 'A' Level Binge Drinking students? :-)
<<

LOL I bet they would like that.

Its just for the weekend. The main gigs are held at the school and the organisers have about a dozen different types of Real Ale on tap.

Its great, you start off with the first and if you can get to the twelth - well good luck to you the next morning. :-)

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 03:56 AM

I like Holmfirth Festival of Folk.

Reasons?

Great sessions in a lot of the pubs with loads of friendly people.

They don't make you pay for anything you don't want to pay for.

You can just pay for the camping which is a large area and not particularly expensive. It is also a stone's throw from the town where all the pubs are, very convenient.

Loads of dance teams, 25 at the last count. Makes for an especially lively atmosphere.

A good fish and chip shop.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Scrump
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 03:55 AM

No-one's mentioned Broadstairs yet, so I will!

Relaxed atmosphere, plenty of varied events (gigs, sessions, concerts, dances, workshops, etc.) all over the town, for a week. Plenty of good pubs. And best of all, they've booked us again! :-)

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Carol
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 03:53 AM

Beverley for it's fabulous atmosphere, thriving fringe and if we're lucky sunshine and it's local, no I've changed my mind, Durham Folk Party, no well Staithes - well it's a women's right to change her mind! Probably Beverley comes out top.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Scrump
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 03:53 AM

Great beer at the School

Is this for the 'A' Level Binge Drinking students? :-)

(Wish I'd been to a school like that!)

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Rasener
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 03:26 AM

Sorry didn't say why

Moor & Coast Festival, Whitby

Becuase they always try to put on a varied programme and do not follow that pattern of a lot of festivals by putting on the same old acts. Great beer at the School.
Whitby is a lovely place, and apart from the Ceilidh, my family are not into folk music,so we spend the week up there, and we all get the best of all worlds.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 02:57 AM

Miskin because it is so relaxed, so low-key and such a gathering of so many friends. Also, as bubblyrat says...for the duration it's a little world of it's own and no one else exists. The surroundings are beautiful and serene. And, of course, due to the fact that Andy appears to have some sort of deal with whatever deity is in charge of such things, it's almost always good weather!

Sidmouth, which would once have been top of my list. I like Sidmouth town itself and it's a lovely place for a holiday. Some of my longest-standing friends go there.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Rasener
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 01:55 AM

Moor & Coast Festival, Whitby

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 05:06 PM

Gainsborough because it's local........any because they all have their plusses.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: Marc Bernier
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 05:04 PM

Mystic Sea Music Festival

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 05:02 PM

Sidmouth for the same reasons as Ms Lemon, plus Colin"s chicken & sausages in the Bedford sessions.

Miskin for the sheer atmosphere, and for the fact that for four or five days, there are no other people on the planet,or so it seems.

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 12:05 PM

Dartmoor for it's lovely cosy atmosphere and the friendliness of the locals. It's like a village fete with a folk music influence. I love the clog and the broom dance on the dray (trailer)and I love the stream behind my trailer. The duck race is a scream!

Sidmouth because I can settle in for a whole weeks work and make a proper job of it. I enjoy going to work on the bus.

Upton on Severn Jazz festival for the sheer professionalism of the performers. Hearing the pianos being tuned early in the morning and for the fireworks in the middle of the night when all have gone to bed! Ok lads I won't let on!

The Battle Tewkesbury for the fun and frolics after the public have gone home. And the German drum band Schelmech (there's an open mic this year)   

The battle of Blore Heath for the wonderful food and friendliness of the hosts.

sal

Subject: RE: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 11:49 AM

I have many I love to go to. Ely, Banbury, St Neots, etc I always go to these, but my main one is Towersey because it has everything from great sessions, singarounds, lovely pub and ale, top main acts, slow easy session tent, good folk club, friendly atmosphere and it is all in a large and yet confined space. Another main reason is that it is not only on a weekend but a bank holiday weekend so you get up to five days of music and fun without using any of my holiday up.

Subject: Favourite Festival and Why?
From: GUEST,Tony five bellies
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 10:52 AM

What is your favourite folk festival and why?